"Mograine, as a Highlord and a High paladin, your weapon looks quite ordinary."
Arthas noticed that Mograine's greatsword appeared to be a standard Silver Hand issue weapon. Although its quality was better than average, the improvement was limited.
Mograine could only say helplessly, "I actually already have a preliminary idea, but I haven't been able to put it into practice yet."
"You mean that crystal you captured during the great war?"
This matter was not a secret among the high-ranking members of the Silver Hand, because most of the people who purified that dark crystal at the time were high-ranking members of the Silver Hand and the Holy Light Church.
"I haven't found a suitable blacksmith to use it. The old blacksmiths in the army all said that using this crystal to forge a weapon would be a waste of heavenly treasures."
Mograine sighed. How could he not want to possess an invincible weapon? On the battlefield, the tool in one's hand was the best companion.
"Perhaps I can recommend a very good candidate for you." Arthas thought of the King of Ironforge. "After we deal with the Dreadlords' threat, I'll take you to visit him."
"That would be truly excellent, Prince Arthas," Mograine's eyes lit up. He had been troubled by this for a long time.
"It's a small matter, and it's all for the sake of improving our strength. Our world still faces many dangers, and it needs powerful champions like you to step forward."
As Arthas spoke, he observed the pedestrians around the fountain. Soon, he noticed an "acquaintance."
The Archmage also noticed Arthas. He walked over and greeted Arthas.
"Good day, Prince Arthas Arthas."
The helper Kael'thas found was none other than Archmage Rommath, who had previously delivered a message for him. Clearly, as a trusted subordinate of the Prince Arthas, this Archmage had been dispatched to complete this important mission.
"Good day, Master Rommath, it's a pleasure to see you again—though it would be even better if it weren't under such urgent circumstances." Arthas responded.
Rommath was as stoic as ever, making it impossible to tell if he was pleased or indifferent. "The Prince Arthas has already briefed me, but currently, no particularly abnormal situations have occurred."
"I know. If a Dreadlord merely wants to hide, he can be more of a mage than a mage himself," Arthas nodded. "So we need to take the initiative."
"As you wish, but before that, we might have to wait a moment. There's someone else who wants to join our ranks, and she can also provide us with a considerable amount of help."
"She?" Mograine was slightly surprised. Was there another female mage joining the investigation?
Rommath then looked in a certain direction and said, "She has arrived."
Arthas turned his head and saw a very familiar face. He almost instinctively blurted out, "Sylvanas?"
...
In the meeting room, Kael'thas listened to Antonidas's lengthy speech, smiling wryly to himself, and said to Krasus beside him, "You knew the Speaker would say all this, didn't you?"
Krasus glanced at the Prince Arthas and nodded slightly. "Isn't this normal? It's not your first time attending a meeting."
"That's why I'm even more surprised that you would attend this meeting when the Speaker says these things?"
"That's because the situation this time is indeed very urgent." Krasus was clearly not interested in Antonidas's official speech. He looked at the Prince Arthas, "You should have already met the Prince Arthas from Lordaeron, right?"
"That's right, just last night, I visited my good friend at the inn where they were staying."
There was nothing to hide about this matter; even his colleagues knew he had gone to visit an old friend last night.
But Kael'thas was somewhat sensitive to what Krasus had just said.
"You said… this situation is indeed very urgent?" Kael'thas asked in a low voice, "Where did you get that information?"
"Intuition."
Krasus was concise, but Kael'thas clearly didn't want such a simple explanation. Yet, Krasus's words made Kael'thas have to take them seriously.
Among the Council of Six in Dalaran, if one were to ask who was the most powerful or most noble, it would certainly lead to days and nights of debate among all the mages in the city.
But if one were to ask who was the most mysterious, whose actions were the most unpredictable, it would definitely be the Archmage named Krasus beside Kael'thas.
And Kael'thas was a supporter of this view, because, as the Prince Arthas, in his long life and time, he had never heard of an Archmage named "Krasus"; his background and origins had become a true mystery.
"You must know something else. Why aren't you willing to share it with me?" Kael'thas tried to pry some information out of Krasus.
Krasus, however, was unmoved. "I told you, I just feel that this matter might really be as serious as that Prince Arthas said, which is why I came to this meeting."
But clearly, Antonidas's approach disappointed both him and Kael'thas. This stubborn Speaker ultimately adopted a compromise, choosing to have the Kirin Tor cooperate with Arthas's investigation but provide no additional help.
Krasus was silent for a moment, then continued, "If I recall correctly, his student seems to be in a relationship with Arthas?"
"That's right, but Antonidas clearly won't change his usual style because of such a thing—you should understand that too."
Regarding the Speaker's way of doing things, the other members of the Council of Six were also well aware. Antonidas was mostly shrewd and wise, able to handle problems and incidents very well.
But once this old Archmage made up his mind, he was even more stubborn than a dwarf.
"Of course…" Krasus's eyes flickered, not knowing what he was thinking. After a moment, just as Antonidas's speech was finally about to end, this mysterious Archmage spoke to the Prince Arthas.
"After the meeting, come to my mage tower. I have something I want to show you."
With that, Krasus quietly left the venue, leaving a bewildered Kael'thas, who didn't know what Krasus's intentions were.
...
"Brother, hurry up, Mom has already made dinner and is waiting for us!" The girl's cheerful call rang out.
"Teresa, slow down, you'll fall if you're like this." Thassarian looked gently at his younger sister. After their father's death, in order not to overwork their mother, young Thassarian took on many of the household chores.
But when the kingdom began distributing recruitment flyers, Thassarian recalled his father's teachings. He resolutely followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a glorious soldier.
After undergoing numerous selections, despite some minor setbacks, Thassarian successfully entered the First Legion and was stationed with the army in the southern part of Andorhal.
Before he left, his mother gave him an amulet. Facing the reluctance and worry of his family, Thassarian promised them that he would definitely return home safely.
"Brother…"
"Teresa, I'm going to serve in the First Legion. You need to help Mom more at home and not be so naughty anymore, okay?"
"I… I'll be good… But… but I don't want Brother to leave." Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. Her father had died in the war, and she worried that her brother would also leave and never return, just like their father.
"Teresa, this is Thassarian's choice." Thassarian's mother, Vivian, embraced her little daughter, comforting her in her sadness.
"I'm sorry, Mother, but I really want to see the place where Father fought. I want him to know that his son loves his homeland just as much as he did."
Vivian caressed her son's face. "I understand, Thassarian… You and Kiloren are exactly alike… Go, I'll wait for you to come back with Teresa."
"Goodbye…"
Endless darkness drowned out the sadness before the farewell. Just a few days after enlisting, Thassarian encountered a tragedy that left him overwhelmed with pain and self-blame.
He failed to protect anyone… If Prince Arthas hadn't arrived in time, even innocent little Sally would have been mercilessly slaughtered by the demons.
"I… failed to fulfill my duty… I am not a qualified soldier…"
Thassarian was distraught for a period after that, until Arthas took him to Northrend to track down the Dreadlords.
And when he learned that the Prince Arthas had gone to the demons' lair alone, he almost couldn't suppress his urge to follow the Prince Arthas's footsteps, even at the cost of his life, to make that Dreadlord suffer.
However, he failed. He couldn't find Arthas, and instead, he was tracked by the Dreadlords, who led him onto the marching route of the First Legion.
Guilt and remorse tormented Thassarian's soul, driving him to fight desperately. Ultimately, he plunged his sword into the demon's abdomen, but he was also pierced by the Dreadlord's claws.
Amidst the demon's curses, Thassarian gradually lost consciousness, sinking into endless darkness.
—Is it all over? I'm sorry, Mother… I'm sorry, Teresa… I'm sorry, Uncle Myatt… And little Sally, I… did nothing.
The young warrior lowered his head. He was a failure, an incompetent man.
"So, do you crave revenge? Revenge against all darkness and evil in the world, even if you yourself fall into the abyss?"
Thassarian lifted his head in the darkness where he couldn't distinguish up from down, left from right. This voice, from nowhere, echoed through the darkness.
"I…"